Nickey came to us from a poor, elderly couple who had many cats, though they loved them all.They were devastated when they found out that dear Nickey was FIV+ and couldn’t stay with them.Nickey waited a long time for her slot to become available, but we were very glad to be able to have her join us.

Nickey was quite scared when she arrived and it took her quite a few weeks to come out of her shell.Much to our delight, she turned out to be a very sweet, affectionate girl.Nickey is 15 years old and we knew before her admittance that she was FIV+.But during her initial exam our vet detected a heart murmur and a follow-up ultrasound showed that Nickey has HCM.

HCM is the most common kind of heart disease in cats, in which some of the heart’s walls become thickened, which can impair the function of the heart. You can read a succint description of HCM in cats here.It is impossible to predict the course of HCM. The disease may progress rapidly, or it may stabilize for a long period of time. A cat with HCM may enjoy an essentially normal life for a number of years.Nickey has no symptoms at this time.

Cats that are FIV+ have been infected with the Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV). This virus disables or destroys the white blood cells, and leaves the cat susceptible to infections. Once a cat is infected with FIV, the cat is infected for life and can transmit the virus if he or she bites another cat. Nickey has three strikes against her: FIV, heart disease and her age.She is a sweetheart and we would never give up hope that she might be adopted.But, in reality, we know the odds are long for such a happy outcome.

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